04/16/24
April 19, 2004
Sure, you have the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry, but what about the Dodgers/Giants rivalry, which began in the 1880s. After this past weekend, Dodgers have a one game advantage: 969 to 968. This rivalry has inspired not one, but two books, and a chess set. From Bobby Thomson's famous "Shot heard 'round the world" to bar fights, player fights, and the modern day murder mystery, this rivalry has seen the good (depending on who you are rooting for), the bad and ugly.
posted by jasonspaceman to baseball at 06:04 AM - 16 comments
Er, how can a baseball game produce a "shot heard round the world" when nobody outside the USA cared? (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
posted by salmacis at 10:57 AM on April 19, 2004
I was a long time Dodger fan and what always amazed me was how one-sided the rivalry was. The Giants fans would chant "Beat LA" even at games where they weren't playing the Dodgers. And this was not the observation of someone watching Dodger games from the east coast. I was living in LA and attending many games. In SF friends would frown and cringe when they would see a Dodgers cap on someone's head. In LA one would barely notice. In SF sportscasters would refer to the "hated Dodgers" where LA sportscasters barely said boo. I think this MIGHT not be so much a phenomenon of a city known for being "laid back" so much as how teams that are traditionally better react to teams that traditionally are gunning for them. For instance, do Yankees fans bother to getting as upset about the Red Sox as the Red Sox fans do about the Yankees? When I was living in LA the Dodgers hadn't gone on their 16-year no post-season run. The Braves were just starting their divisional dynasty and the Giants were still also rans. So things may be different now. But I think the Giants never having won the World Series while in San Francisco while the Dodgers have won 4 series championships (59, 63, 65, 88) since moving from Brooklyn. Personally I don't so much hate the Giants as I hate Barry Bonds :)
posted by scully at 11:02 AM on April 19, 2004
For instance, do Yankees fans bother to getting as upset about the Red Sox as the Red Sox fans do about the Yankees? personally, i don't. but i have noticed a disturbing trend amongst yankee fans lately.
posted by goddam at 11:26 AM on April 19, 2004
I was a long time Dodger fan and what always amazed me was how one-sided the rivalry was. I do not see that at all. I think there is an equal amount of hate between fans of both teams just by reading the various Dodgers weblogs and message boards.
posted by jasonspaceman at 11:39 AM on April 19, 2004
For instance, do Yankees fans bother to getting as upset about the Red Sox as the Red Sox fans do about the Yankees? Of course not. When you win championship after championship and seem to never have a problem with your biggest opponent (the red sox), I'm sure you don't get upset about too much. Now if a miracle should come around and the red sox were to win a championship or two and got through the yankees to do it you would see their attitude change pretty quickly. Its a product of the teams performances, not some higher standard the yankee fans aspire to.
posted by justgary at 11:52 AM on April 19, 2004
Does anyone outside of Los Angeles think the Dodgers have anything to hold over the Giants at this point? They're not even the best team in Los Angeles -- I can't recall the last time the Dodgers were fielding a better team than the Giants.
posted by rcade at 12:14 PM on April 19, 2004
I do not see that at all. I think there is an equal amount of hate between fans of both teams just by reading the various Dodgers weblogs and message boards. Um, I would argue that online weblogs and messageboards are more likely to be inhabited by people more likely to spew venom, and therefore aren't a good representation of supporters (good or bad). rcade: as I said in my original post, this was all before the Dodgers were sold to the Murdock and company. I think that getting the FOX people out of the front office is a good way to start back on the right path. Damage was done for me as a fan though. I am now trying to learn as much about the Pirates I knew about the Dodgers for 30 years :)
posted by scully at 12:36 PM on April 19, 2004
For instance, do Yankees fans bother to getting as upset about the Red Sox as the Red Sox fans do about the Yankees? yeah a goodly amount of them do. they don't like to admit to it, but they do. i sat near yankee fans friday night: they do.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:45 PM on April 19, 2004
Er, how can a baseball game produce a "shot heard round the world" when nobody outside the USA cared? I think it's just pure hyperbole — kind of like "Great" Britain. /couldn't resist!
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:05 PM on April 19, 2004
I can't recall the last time the Dodgers were fielding a better team than the Giants. Well, right now the Dodgers are at .750, and the Giants .417, good enough for 1st and 4th in the division, respectively. Obviously this could change as the season progresses, but in past years the Giants have run away with it from the start.
posted by rocketman at 01:11 PM on April 19, 2004
terrapin, there's mostly venom in the message boards. The weblogs, on the other hand, are quite decent when it comes to stats and baseball knowledge.
posted by jasonspaceman at 01:21 PM on April 19, 2004
supporting links, jasonspaceman?
posted by scully at 01:32 PM on April 19, 2004
As a new president of the DePodesta fan club Dodgers fan, current Bay Area resident and born-and-bred soccer peripheral baseball fan, I don't quite know what to make of this. Should I hold off on my impending purchase of a Dodgers baseball cap? Should I just settle for a "Parking Attendant" t-shirt instead?
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:55 PM on April 19, 2004
And, erm, go Dodgers. Way to sweep. Yeah.
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:56 PM on April 19, 2004
terrapin: Dodger Thoughts Bench Coach 6-4-2
posted by jasonspaceman at 03:09 PM on April 19, 2004
One of the things Jim Rome does well is pump up this rivalry. I had no idea it was such a big deal to Dodgers and Giants fans until I heard about it on his radio show. After yesterday's loss, the Giants announcing team on the radio was amazingly bitter. They apparently have a practice of never picking a player of the game who is, or has ever been, a Dodger.